


There is Nothing Permanent Except Change

by Shippertrash_05



Category: Captain America (Movies), DC Cinematic Universe, Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Thor (Movies), Wonder Woman (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Crossover, Drama, Drama & Romance, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hydra (Marvel), Kidnapping, M/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-04
Updated: 2017-12-01
Packaged: 2019-01-08 21:57:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12262869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shippertrash_05/pseuds/Shippertrash_05
Summary: Following an Alternate Universe, really set before the events of Civil War, or as if Civil War does not happen.Diana Prince has inserted herself into the same universe as the Marvel characters in search of her brother Ares after finding out there are multiple versions of him across the multiple galaxies. The story starts after Diana has been searching for Ares with the help of some of the Avengers for months. What will she do with her life in the Marvel universe? How will she cope with the people that now surround her?





	1. Just Once

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction in both DC and Marvel, as well as my first time writing for most of these characters. Please do tell me if there is something wrong, if I missed anything! Please and thank you <3

Diana blinked slowly, a ringing in her ears. She licked her lips, the dryness of her throat evident to her as she started to sit up. Each breath escaped her lungs as if she was an asthmatic child in need of an inhaler. Her chestnut hues traced over her surroundings as her fingers brushed through the long strands of brunette tresses.  _What on earth...?_ She swallowed and shook her head quickly, as if she were hoping to clear the fog of her mind.  _Breathe. Just breathe. You're fine. You're alive. Obviously. Think back to what happened._ Last night had been such a blur, she wasn't even sure where she should begin to think. But she glanced down first, those chocolate hues widening to the size of saucers.  _Go figure. Naked. How many cliched nights have ended like this?_ The snort that escaped her was deafening in the silent bedroom. She tightened the hold of the covers around her, pulling them up so that they concealed her upper body like a wrap. Her head twisted as her feet hit the floor, a soft thump echoing at the movement. But the figure, the  _man_ , next to her did not stir. However, she did take in the strong muscles of his back as he slept, his head turned to face her.  _By the gods._ She groaned and pushed herself up from the bed.  _What were you thinking Diana? You hardly know this place, or him, and you've already been in his bed?_ She couldn't help the frustration as she stood, dragging the sheets around her as she started to pick up her clothes which were strewn about the bedroom.

She glanced back at his sleeping form, nibbling on her bottom lip. Her feet carried her across the small bedroom and into the bathroom, her heart pounding unexpectedly.  _Stop that. You're not some lovesick girl._ She rolled her eyes, closing the bathroom door as silently as possible and turning the lock, just in case. She glanced up at herself in the mirror, coal seeming to line the underside of her eyes.  _Damn makeup._ She leaned over the sink, her fingers twisting the cool metal handle of the faucet. A deep breath escaped parted lips as she cupped the temperate water in her hands, splashing it quickly against her face and scrubbing the water into her skin, as if she could wash away the evidence.

_Nnngh._

She almost jumped at the snore the emanated from behind the bathroom door. Her eyes rolled once more, brunette tresses flying around her face as she shook her head.  _Calm down. Focus. Shower._ She moved away from the sink, flicking the faucet off before stepping toward the shower. She made sure the water was scalding before stepping in. Every muscle in her body relaxed as the liquid pounded against her back. Her head tilted, body turning and letting the spray caress her face as her eyes fluttered shut.  _This'll be fine. Everything will be fine._

* * *

_A low growl escaped her lips as he pushed her up against the wall, their bodies melding together with each breath._

_"Tell me if you want me to stop." His voice was husky and breathless, his lips still caressing hers as his forehead rested against her own._

_"If I wanted that, I would tell you Steve." Her own voice sounded foreign in her ears, fingers pushing at the buttons of his shirt as she did her best to relieve him of his clothing. They were a tangled mess as they made their way to his bed, items of clothing dropping left and right. Her teeth sank into his bottom lip, tugging slowly and sucking his lip into her mouth. The groan that escaped him made her skin tingle. 'I did that to him.' She couldn't help the small, satisfied smirk that crossed her lips as his nails dug into her bare hips hard enough to bruise. 'They won't last long. We'll heal quickly.' The next few thoughts escaped her because all she could focus on was his hands on her, the way he pushed her against the bed and pinned her down, the way his fingers traced over every single inch of skin he could reach. It was as if he was taking his sweet time in torturing her._

  _Her heart pounded with each inhale and exhale, their breaths mingling together as his mouth ghosted over hers. Those lips trailing a path along her jaw, down her neck, over her breasts and abdomen before... The next inhale was sharp as his mouth connected between her thighs, gripping them tightly and spreading them apart for him. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, her body arching eagerly._

* * *

 

_Knockknockknock._

"Diana? Did you seriously lock me out of my own bathroom?"

She blinked quickly, her eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness as she leaned against the shower wall. Her head was fogged once more, along with the bathroom. The hot shower still running as she reached out and quickly shut it off. She jumped out of the shower, grabbing a towel from the rack and wrapping herself in it. Her hair fell in damp waves over her shoulders.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!" She tucked the towel in so that it would not fall, unlocking the door and stepping back once more. She leaned down for a moment, suddenly realizing that she had grabbed  _his_ shirt in her hurry to make it into the bathroom and start her shower before he had woken up. She swallowed roughly, looking as nonchalant as possible as the bathroom door opened. She could feel those bright sapphire orbs on her as he stood in the doorway, her heart skittering with each passing second as she kept her eyes on her feet.

"If you had just told me you were busy then I wouldn't have disturbed you." His voice came out in a murmur, such a contrast to his muscular form.

"Could you not hear the shower? I did not think that I would really have to  _tell_ you." The teasing evident in her tone as she glanced up at him, chestnut hues meeting sapphire as she stared at him. The slow smile that crossed his lips made her own grow. It was at this point that she noticed his shirtless state, tracing her orbs over the muscles in front of her before they landed on the boxers that hung low on his hips. When her eyes found his once more, a heat had ignited in them again and he took one step toward her so they were only separated by a few inches.

"I'm trying to be a gentleman, but you make it so hard."

"Well you are very old-fashioned." She mused softly, tucking a damp strand behind her ear as she raised one eyebrow. "Ninety years old at least am I right?"

"And how old are you again?" He raised one eyebrow, moving so that his hands were on her hips once more in the same exact spot as last night. Fire licked across her skin at his touch, her breath halting in her lungs as she stared up at him.

"Any gentleman should know never to ask a woman her age." She snorted and swatted at his hands, shaking her head in annoyance. He coughed softly, hands dropping from her as she moved toward the bedroom, clothes in hand. "Where did you toss my shirt exactly? I'm trying to get dressed so I can at least make it back to my apartment before I have to go to work." She knew he had to have one of those bashful looks on his face, exactly like him whenever he did something that was out of character. He was a man born out of the 1940's when women were porcelain dolls that shouldn't be working. Of course, both of them had plenty of time to watch the world change on those views, give or take a century.

"By work do you mean, the exchange you have going on from The Louvre with the National Gallery of Art? Or do you mean going to Avengers Tower to find out more information about where Ares could be?" Her footsteps paused as she turned to face him, seeing the curious, raised brow he was giving her. She let out a low sigh, moving around the bed so he couldn't see the expression she had. It was true, these past few months she hadn't been so focused on finding Ares. Instead she was adjusting to life in this... universe she supposed. Most of the things she had heard from both Tony and Steve were the same as in her normal life, other than the Avengers as Steve called them. Chestnut hues flitted over to Steve as he leaned in the bathroom doorway, still watching her with that open expression.

 _'Stop looking at me like that.'_ She wanted to scold him, but instead, she just nibbled on her bottom lip. Her fingers reaching up to brush through the damp strands of her hair.

"I'm not sure yet to be honest." She replied slowly, kneeling for a moment to pluck her shirt from the floor. She kept her back to him, letting the towel drop to the floor. She could hear the sharp intake of his breath, knew that he was watching her closely as she carefully started to tug her clothes back on. "Are you staring?" She threw the comment over her shoulder, turning her head and tilting it back so that she could watch him.

"Not staring...." He mumbled, his voice taking on some of that roughness she had heard from it last night. That tone which made her skin heat up and her body seem to pulse. "Admiring." A smirk crossed his lips and she chuckled quietly, shrugging her shirt on as she turned around once more. The bed was the only thing separating them as she slowly buttoned her shirt back up.

"Well you'll have to admire something else for a few hours or so. Maybe get a different type of workout in today." She teased as she pulled her jeans on once more, zipping them up. She was not about to be late to meet Tony, as much as she  _wanted_ to lay in bed all day with Steve. She scolded herself for even having such a thought.  _'He's a friend. Stop thinking about that. Don't ruin things Diana. It was just a one time thing.'_ She took a steadying breath, stepping toward the bedroom door as Steve moved into her path.

"Will I see you later at Avengers Tower then?" He raised one eyebrow and Diana couldn't help but smile softly.

"Maybe you will. Who knows." She mused, bending down and scooping up the heels she had kicked off when they had entered the bedroom last night. She made her way through the apartment, keeping eyes forward. She didn't need to look back at him right then. Steve was her best friend. She couldn't stand it if she had just ruined that friendship. Her hand was already on the doorknob, her resolve shaking in the aspect of not looking back, when he spoke.

"Diana?"

Just the way he said her name made her breath catch and she glanced back at him.

"This won't change anything right?"

She blew out a long breath, giving him a slightly nervous look.

"I hope not. Maybe we can talk more about it later...? I really can't be late Steve." She hated to see that puppy dog look on his face. Hated that  _she_ was the one who caused it. But she really did need to get going. Since she told Tony, before she and Steve left together, that she would be there around eleven in the morning. She reached out, picking up her purse which she had deposited by the front door last night.

"Yeah of course. I'll see you later." She watched as he chewed on his own lip.

 _'This might have been a mistake.'_ Diana thought as she tugged the apartment door open, stepping into her heels and walking out. She sighed deeply, shaking her head as she focused on the task at hand. Her fingers reached up, tying her hair back into a neat bun at the back of her skull.

_Ping._

_[Text from Tony]_

_Don't forget. 11 o'clock._

Diana rolled her eyes, glancing at the time on her phone as she made her way out of the apartment.

_[Text from Diana]_

_Don't worry. On my way._

_Have you found anything yet?_

She sent the second text slightly after the first. An afterthought to check in on what J.A.R.V.I.S. had been searching for all night.

_Ping._

_[Text from Tony]_

_Not yet. Don't worry. We'll find him._

A slight sigh escaped her lips as she walked toward the subway, pulling the card from her wallet as she moved. She took a few more deep breaths, mentally preparing herself for the day. She had been searching for months for signs of Ares, trying to piece information together that would hopefully lead her to him. But it seemed that  _this_ particular version of her brother did not want to be found.


	2. What's the Point?

**_No matching results._ **

Diana groaned in frustration, burying her head in her hands as the screen in front of her flashed angrily. Those chestnut hues still moved behind closed eyelids, as if she were still searching for the information she needed.  _'Can't I catch one break? Just one.'_ She couldn't help the pessimistic thought as she rubbed the palm of her hand against her forehead, each breath escaping her in the form of an exasperated sigh.

"Nothing yet?" Tony's voice floated across the lab to her. She glanced up, watching as he pushed himself away from his own desk, dark brows raised.

"No. What about you?"

Tony shook his head in reply and Diana's mouth formed a tight line.  _'How is it that I was able to find Ares with such ease in the 1900's, but I cannot find him in the 21st century with things like the internet at my disposal?'_ The words almost spewed from her lips in her frustration, digging her nails into the palm of her hand.

"We'll figure it out Diana. Don't worry. I've got some godly connections of my own. You remember Thor right? I'm having him look into some things." He gave her a confident look that Diana could not muster to return.

"It's been months Tony. Six months to be exact. And we have still found nothing!" Her fist slammed against the metal desk where she sat.

**Clang.**

She glanced down at the indent of her fist on the table, feeling ashamed of herself for losing her temper so easily. Her eyes darted toward Tony, who hadn't even flinched at the power she held in those hands. She removed her hand from the dent, sighing and placing both of them in her lap as she stared at the screen in front of her as it still blinked 'No matching results.'

"What are we missing Tony?" She turned to face him. "How am I supposed to find him if literally nothing points to him? The name he used in my world, completely useless. We cannot find anyone matching the description that I gave to J.A.R.V.I.S." She curled her fingers back into fists in her lap, trying to breathe deeply and just think about what to do next.

"I've hit walls before, we all have Diana. We just need to keep working through it okay?" Tony made his way toward her, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Come on. We've been at this for about five hours, and you haven't had a break. I know you're a goddess and everything, but I'm pretty sure that everyone concentrates better on a full stomach." His fingers squeezed her shoulder gently. "Besides I've been getting texts from Steve all day and it would seem that he wants to talk with you, or at least see if you're alive since you're not replying to him." He smirked at the look on her face. "What happened with you two after I left last night anyways?"

"Nothing." She replied quickly, too quickly by the knowing look that now crossed Tony's face.

"Oh yes. I've done nothing plenty of times with men and women."

"Shut up Stark." Diana grumbled and shot him a glare, reaching out for her phone and checking the messages there.

_[Text from Steve]_

_How are things going on the search front? I know you're busy with everything, but I feel like we should talk about last night._

She stared at the text message for a few moments, her fingers starting to type against the touch screen.

_Horribly. There's nothing on him. I know we should talk but I think that we also shouldn't have let last night happen._

Her eyes traced over the words before she quickly deleted the message and tried again.

_[Text from Diana]_

_We still haven't found anything._

_I think we should talk about it as well. Where to go, such like that._

She let out a soft sigh, pushing away from the desk and glancing at the dent once more. She knelt down, exerting just enough pressure to pop the dent back into place so that the surface of the desk looked as neat as before. Well, as neat as it could be with the files she had Tony dig out for her, the photograph of her brother that she kept as a reference, and the coffee cups that littered the desk.

_Ping._

_[Text from Steve]_

_I'm sorry to hear about that. You'll tell me if you need anything on that front, won't you?_

_How about tonight? Unless you want to keep researching? I know you won't stop until you find him, but breaks are a good thing too._

She smiled slightly at the message, chuckling a little bit. He seemed to know her so well after the past six months. Especially considering how she had gotten to their world.

* * *

_[Gotham City, DC Universe]_

 

_"You're sure about this?"  Diana had pressed Barry as she raised one eyebrow._

_"Well, it's a theory. My theory actually, so obviously I'm not 100% sure about it. But... probably like 99% sure? I've done the research and it should work. But you won't be able to come back without me, or another speedster Diana." Barry looked up at her, brushing back a loose strand of his hair._

_"I know. I'll figure that out when it comes time. But for now, as long as you can get me there, we should be fine."_

_"I know. I still don't like the idea of just leaving you over there..."_

_"It's okay kid. She can take care of herself, I've got plenty of firsthand experience on watching that." The chuckle that_ _emanated from Bruce Wayne was a rare thing indeed. Diana couldn't help but smile slightly at that. "Just don't get yourself into too much trouble without us."_

_"Isn't trouble all the fun?" She teased him, raising one eyebrow. He gave her a look, as if to say 'just be careful.' She nodded slightly, looking over at Barry. "Come on Flash. I need to get to another universe." She grabbed Barry's hand, throwing a last smile over her shoulder to Bruce who only inclined his head briefly. Everything was a blur after that, her head spun and her muscles ached._

_And the next thing she knew, Diana was dropped in the middle of New York City but this time she was alone. And of course, the armor she was wearing drew quite a bit of attention. But what surprised her most, was that she was surrounded by men with guns._

_"Now just who are you?" A voice drawled from behind her and Diana spun around, deciding it would be best if she didn't reach for the sword or shield strapped to her back. The man she faced now had dark skin, a patch over his left eye, and a long black trench coat._

_"I am Diana of Themyscira, daughter of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons." She raised her hands. "I am no harm to mankind."_

_"Yes, because that is exactly what someone with armor, as well as a sword and shield, is supposed to be." The man's voice dripped sarcasm. "Put the sword and shield on the ground." Diana had learned the best thing in situations like this was to comply. So she set her sword down next to her shield, placing her hands behind her back as the men moved forward to cuff her hands. She could break out of them in a second, but that didn't mean she was going to. 'They would only fear you more if you did so.' She reminded herself as they led her away._

_So she let them take her to their facility, let them sit her in a chair with her hands cuffed in front of her. She answered all of their questions over and over each time. It took them two weeks to start to trust her, to allow her to move about the facility, albeit with limited access. It was after those two weeks that she had first met Steve._

_"I hear you have a pretty nice shield." A voice commented from behind as she moved through one of her training exercises. Her hair had been tied back into a messy bun, those dark eyes meeting sky blue orbs as she turned her head._

_"A shield yes. Does that interest you?" She raised a curious brow._

_"Considering we both use one, I do find it interesting. I'm Steve, Steve Rogers." He offered his hand to her._

_"Diana Prince." She took his hand in hers, shaking firmly._

_"That's a good grip you have." Steve tilted his head._

_"So I've been told." She smirked at him, only loosening her grip when she pulled her hand back._

* * *

And everything had developed from there. She smiled fondly at the memory, shaking her head slowly. She glanced down at the unanswered text message once more, fingers tapping lightly away at the screen.

_[Text from Diana]_

_Why not right now? I've just finished up what I can with Tony._

_I'm practically starving. How about dinner?_

"You heading out?" Tony asked as he held open the lab door for her.

"Yeah. I'm probably going to head to an early dinner." Tony opened his mouth to make some sort of witty reply before Diana raised her hand. "Steve will be with me, he'll make sure that I eat."

"Oooh. Steve is going to be with you. You two got a hot date then?" Tony wiggled his eyebrows as Diana rolled her eyes in reply.

"I hate you."

"Now Diana, hate is such a strong word." He dodged the crumpled up paper that was tossed with very little force at his head.

_Ping._

_[Text from Steve]_

_Sounds perfect. Do you want me to pick you up?_

Tony leaned over her, whistling innocently.

"Shut up will you." She laughed softly. She was truly glad to have made such friends like the Avengers. "Make sure that you keep me updated if Thor replies to you, got it?" She hummed, raising one eyebrow as she sent a quick text to Steve saying that he should pick her up.

Fifteen minutes later, she climbed onto the back of Steve's bike, her arms sliding around his torso as she rested her head between his shoulder blades.

"What do you feel like having tonight?" He tensed slightly, the feeling of her so close against his back. Her warmth seeped through the leather of his jacket, as if she were a space heater.

"Anything. I'm starving." She laughed. "Why don't you surprise me?"

"A surprise huh? Well, if you say that." He chuckled as well. "Hold on tight then." He revved the bike before driving off, her hair whipping behind them as she kept her head pressed between his shoulder blades. She loved the adrenaline that coursed through her veins as he drove. It was like being in a fight. They made their way through the city, Diana's fingers tracing over the front of his white cotton shirt. "You know, if you keep doing that, we're more likely to crash." His voice reached her ears over the roar of the wind and the only reply she offered was a soft laugh. They pulled up to a small Vietnamese restaurant in Brooklyn. "One of my friends told me that this is the new 'it' thing to try these days. I figured maybe we could try it together." He glanced over his shoulder, smiling at her.

They made their way into the little restaurant, Steve holding the door open for her of course. She couldn't help but grin at that. When he had told her his story, she felt even closer to him than any of the other Avengers she had met. 'A soldier out of time.' She had mused to him, speaking of both herself and his own experiences. She shook herself out of her nostalgia, stepping up to the counter and glancing over the menu.

"What do you think we should get? I've heard people speak of the Pho noodles." She pointed up to the menu. But when she looked back at him, his eyes were instead focused on her and not the menu. "What?" She asked quickly, reaching up to brush her fingers along her cheek. "Do I have something on my face?" She knew the question was a cliche thing to ask, but she had to ask it all the same.

"No, nothing like that." He waved his hand, cheeks slightly pink. "I think the noodles are a good idea. What about egg rolls too?" He hummed and glanced up at the menu with her this time.

"Well I did say I was hungry." She couldn't help but smirk as Steve grinned, stepping forward and starting off their order with Diana adding input every once in awhile. They moved to a table, placing their napkins and such on the surface before Steve pulled out her chair. "Ever the gentleman aren't you?" She teased him.

"I'm ninety percent positive that you love it." He replied with that same smirk that made even her heart pound.

"That would be beside the point." She mumbled, sipping her water slowly and avoiding eye contact with him. They settled into a comfortable silence for the next few minutes, each of them avoiding looking at the other before Steve finally broke the silence.

"I know you probably don't want to talk about it right now, but you know we have to."

"I know, but couldn't the awkwardness have waited until after we ate dinner?" She tried to tease as he smiled back at her.

"The other part can wait until after dinner, but I think we should talk about Ares right now." Steve murmured and placed his hand over hers.

A deep sigh escaped her lips as she glanced at their fingers, curling hers with his.

"What's the point? It seems like nothing Tony or I do... Even J.A.R.V.I.S. can't find him Steve? How am I supposed to find him? In 1918.... sure it took me awhile to figure out who my brother was and where exactly he was. But he  _wanted_ me to find him that time. He  _wanted_ me to join him, to remake the world. But this? Now? How is it that in the 21st century, I can't find him?"

"Maybe this version of your brother doesn't want to be found. If you know the right people, you can keep off the grid." Steve's fingers tapped against the table as he spoke. "And I'm speaking from experience of course." He chuckled softly. "S.H.I.E.L.D. kept me in a room for 70 years..." He paused and stared at her for a moment. "Has Tony looked into the possibility of HYDRA having anything to do with Ares?"


	3. HYDRA

The wind blew her hair back as she gripped onto Steve’s waist. Her heart was pounding against her ribs, fingers tapping nervously against his ribs as he drove the motorcycle. She had quickly texted Tony about what Steve had said.

_[Text from Diana]_

_Tony did you look into the possibility_

_of Ares being an asset of HYDRA?_

_[Text from Diana]_

_Stark I know you’re alive._

But nothing. Not even a single, smug reply. That was the thought that worried Diana most. _‘Tony never misses the chance to make a smart comment. Or a smug one.’_ Steve had completely agreed with Diana’s statement. They both had agreed that the fact Tony did not reply immediately was a scary thought. Neither of them had even finished their meal before pushing from the chair and racing out of the Vietnamese restaurant.

Her mind raced ahead of her, going over everything that she could have possibly missed.

_‘Tony would have looked into HYDRA first right? Wouldn’t he have? One would think?’_

But she knew that if Tony had found anything then….

_‘He would have told me.’_

She clung to Steve, sighing softly and biting her lip gently.

Steve was unable to ignore the way that Diana sighed, moving one hand slowly from the left handle and placing it gently against her hands on his waist.

“We’ll get there. I’m sure Tony is fine. Don’t worry.” Steve’s voice carried on the wind to her as she took another long breath, nodding slowly and burying her face in between his shoulder blades once more.

**_Eeeoooeeeooo. Eeeoooeeeooo._ **

Diana’s head whipped around, eyes widening as the police cars and ambulances raced from behind them and passing them.

 _‘Don’t turn left…. Don’t turn left..’_ Diana held her breath, staring at the back of the ambulances and police cars as they turned left… Toward Avengers Tower.

“Steve…”

The bike revved as Steve sped up, not bothering to reply. She could feel the clench of his muscles, the tightening as he gripped onto the handles. Her heart stopped as the turned the corner, coming face to face with Avengers Tower.

Diana could feel the heat from the fire, staring up at the tower engulfed in flames.

“No…” She didn’t bother to tell Steve as she jumped from the bike, rolling out of the fall and coming up on one knee. She pushed off from the ground, not even watching the way Steve yanked his bike to a stop, not hearing the scream of her name from his lips.

Diana broke through one of the many windows that encompassed the main living space of the tower. The flames surrounded her, making her cough for a moment. She dug her nails into the palms of her hands, moving through the flames.

 _“Tony!”_ She screamed for him, heart racing as she ran down the stairs to the lab. She could tell that the flames were not the first problem. Tony’s computers had been smashed, papers scattered, Diana’s desk was flipped on its side. _‘No… No no no no.’_ She raced to the papers. Everything was gone, even the picture she had of her brother’s human form. Gone.

“Diana! Where are you?!” Sam’s voice echoed from the level above her as Diana stared at the scattered paperwork. She pushed herself up from her position on shaky knees. _‘When did I even get on the ground…?’_ She tried to steady her breathing, tried to focus. _‘None of this matters. J.A.R.V.I.S. would have everything anyways. What matters is Tony. Get it together Diana.’_

“Sam! Have you seen any sign of Tony?!” She raced back up the stairs, seeing that Sam had quelled some of the fire that had engulfed the tower.

“There’s no sign of him. Steve is on the ground, talking to the police. He is freaking out cause _you_ came up here alone.” He gave Diana a look like _‘do you have to stress him out even more?’_ to which Diana shrugged slightly.

“Pretty sure you don’t always listen to him either.” She quipped. She didn’t even have to look at Sam to know his eyes were rolling.

“They took him.” Diana finally said into the silence. “Didn’t they?” She whispered, holding out the empty file folder that had been left from the tornado that had wrecked Tony’s lab. An empty file folder that had the HYDRA symbol stamped on top of it.

* * *

 

Diana swallowed the lump in her throat, making her way through the newest Avengers compound. She knew that Steve was talking to her, explaining where things were as he showed her around. She couldn’t hear him, not with the roaring in his ears.

_‘Tony’s gone. HYDRA took him. Because of you.’_

Nobody said the words. Nobody would dare. But Diana knew that it _was_ her fault. _‘If I had never come here. If I had never started looking into this. None of this would have happened. None of it.’_ The words continued to cycle through her mind, her heart aching horribly. She felt as if she couldn’t breathe properly. As if her lungs were filling with carbon dioxide instead of oxygen.

“Diana.”

She blinked quickly, staring up at Steve and seeing that he had finally stopped. He stood in front of her, dressed in his uniform. Her eyes traced over the star on his chest as she tried to focus once more.

“What?”

“You didn’t hear anything I said in the last forty minutes did you?”

To be honest, she hadn’t heard anything that Steve had said in the last twenty-four hours. Not since she had Sam set her down on the ground outside of Avengers Tower.

“No. Not the last forty minutes.” Diana finally murmured, glancing down from his piercing gaze. She swallowed roughly, nodding to the door he stood in front of. “This one mine?” She heard the exhale of breath, the sigh that escaped him as he stepped back and pushed open the door. She took in the moderate sized room, moving inside and rolling her shoulders slightly.

“This is the best place for all of us right now. Tony set up every single system himself and put in every protection.”

“He had plenty of protection in Avengers Tower. He practically _lived_ there Steve.” She snapped slightly, tone harsher than what she had meant to use. She could see the hurt that flashed in his eyes.

“There was nothing we could have done Diana. This wasn’t-”

 _“Don’t.”_ She hissed, eyes flashing in her anger. “Do not tell me that this was not my fault Steve. Because that is exactly what it was. All of this. All of it was _my_ fault.” Her fingers clenched, knuckles going white in her anger as she stared up at him. “I never should have come here. Never should have bothered _any_ of you.”

Steve did his best not to flinch, swallowing roughly as her words hit him, like a physical blow. He stepped back, holding up his hands and biting back his words. He knew that Diana was simply angry because of the loss of Tony. She was _pissed_ because they couldn’t do anything. Not right then. They had to do recon, had to talk about everything, where HYDRA could have possibly taken Tony.

“The team is already here. We’re going to be meeting in fifteen minutes.” His reply came short, clipped. “We’re going to figure this out.”

Diana nodded slowly, glancing away from Steve and moving toward the bed that was placed in the corner of the room. She didn’t want to think about anything. She hadn’t slept since last night. She had spent most of it gathering all of the files that she could from Avengers Tower and counting how much of the hard copy data that they had on HYDRA was missing. The answer?

All of it.

Not a scrap of what she had was even a mention of HYDRA. Everything had been taken, or destroyed via the fire.

She took a deep breath, massaging her temples slowly as she placed herself on the edge of the bed. She could still feel Steve’s gaze on her. She knew that look in his eyes, didn’t need to see it to know. She knew he had lost plenty of people in the past, and he had rescued plenty of his own. But she also knew that there were plenty that he could not rescue.

* * *

 

_[Two months after Diana arrived in New York, Marvel Universe]_

 

_Diana grunted for a moment, staring up at Steve as he smirked down at her. He had her pinned to the mat in the large training gym, straddling her waist with his hands gripping her wrists against the mat._

_“Got ya.”_

_“For now. But you also let your guard down.” She stared up at him as she lay between his legs. A smirk crossed her lip for the briefest of moments before she moved, lifting her left leg so that her thigh was pressed against the back of his. Her right leg pushed her body off the ground, turning with ease until he was the one pinned under her. “Got ya.” She mimicked him, keeping the larger male pinned with ease. He couldn’t even move his wrists from her grasp as he laughed softly, grinning back up at her._

_“Alright, I admit, I deserved that.”_

_“You think?” She mused softly, pushing herself slowly up from her position and letting Steve up as well._

_“So you said your aunt taught you all of this? Trained you?” Steve raised one eyebrow as he at up, leaning back against his elbows as Diana sat next to him._

_“She started my initial training, yes.” Diana brushed her fingers through her sweat dampened strands that had fallen from her bun. She pulled the hair tie out, readjusting the brunette tresses back behind her head into another messy bun. “My mother did not want me to train. But my aunt knew that I would need to fight one day.” She glanced up at him, tapping her fingers against her wrist. A nervous habit that Steve had seen her continuously show._

_“Why didn’t she want you to train?” Steve’s curiosity was getting the best of him. Diana had told them the bare minimum of who she was, the reason that she was there in their universe. He knew it truly wasn’t any of his business, but he wanted to know more about her._

_“Because she thought that my training would ensure that my brother, Ares, would find out about my presence. She thought that if I didn’t train, then my true identity would remain unknown. That I would be safe and that I wouldn’t leave Themyscira.” She took a deep breath. “But I wanted to fight… I needed to fight. Everyone else was trained. I didn’t find it right that I couldn’t be.”_

_“I can understand that.” Steve murmured and nodded. “Before the serum I was the same way, at least in the part where everyone was fighting and I couldn’t. I was a scrawny, asthmatic kid from Brooklyn with too many illnesses to be a soldier. But I finally got the chance I needed and….” He gestured to himself._ _“Dr. Erskine said he gave me the chance because of how many times I tried to enlist into the army.” He chuckled softly. “I was stubborn, wanting to prove that I could fight just like everyone else.”_

_Diana stayed quiet, watching as he flexed his fingers. There were so many things that she wanted to understand about him as well. So many things she wanted to ask him. She silently filtered through those questions._

_“Did you ever lose anyone…? While you were commanding your men in Europe?”_

_Steve blinked for a moment, his lips parting as his breathing picked up. She watched as his fingers curled into fists, causing the boxing tape over his hands to strain slightly._

_“I’m sorry I didn’t..”_

_“It’s fine.” Steve cut her off, waving his hand for a moment. She raised one eyebrow at the fact that he cut her off. It was a rare and ungentlemanly thing for Steve Rogers to do. “I did lose someone. My best friend actually.” He chuckled for a moment, trying to ignore the painful tone he always had when speaking about Bucky. “We’d been best friends for… ages. Before the serum, I was always getting into fights against guys who were much bigger than me. Guys that I definitely couldn’t beat no matter how hard I tried.” He laughed again at the memories, biting down on his bottom lip as he took a deep breath. “He’d always be the one to drag me away, kick anyone’s ass that tried to follow after us.” He rubbed his jaw and chortled, slowly starting to unwind the boxing tape that covered his hands._

_He swallowed for a moment._

_“He was always there for me. And I couldn’t save him.” He balled up the tape, making sure that it was a crumpled mess before tossing it lightly across the mat and hearing the light thump of it landing in the trash can._

_“You can’t save everyone Steve… Trust me I know.” She murmured, hearing her own words echoing in the back of her mind. Her words to another Steve. ‘I can do it. Let me do it.’_

_She exhaled slowly, starting to unwind her own boxing tape and stretch her fingers. Could she tell him this? Could she even voice this story without her voice cracking?_

_“One of the men that helped me defeat my brother in my universe.. I lost him. He sacrificed himself to save millions. Sacrificed himself because he /knew/ that I would be able to do greater things than he ever could. He….” She swallowed once more. ‘I can save today. You can save the world. I wish we had more time. I love you.’_

 

* * *

 

 

Diana yanked herself from the memory, heart pounding in time with the knocking on her door. She blinked slowly, pushing herself up from the bed.

“Diana? We’re about to start the meeting, are you alright? Steve was getting worried.” Natasha’s voice came through the closed door as Diana moved slowly across the room.

“Yes. Just dozed off a bit.” Diana murmured, tugging open the door to see the redhead there. She took a deep breath. “Lead the way?”

“With pleasure.”


End file.
